Assistant Professor,
Douglas Hall, Room DH 142
505-454-3415
FAX: 505-454-3389
E-mail: lfath@nmhu.edu
- Mission of the Department of English
- Faculty
- Admission Requirements
- Resources and Facilities
- Master of Arts in English (MA)
- Examinations
- Language Requirement
- English Course Description
Mission of the Department of English
The Department of English M.A. program offers advanced instruction in literature, linguistics, creative writing, and composition. It is designed to provide a strong foundation in advanced research methods for the study of English; a thorough background in the history and development of the English language; current theories in linguistics, literary criticism, and writing; and a variety of electives in the three emphasis areas.
The graduate program serves regional secondary school teachers, prospective community college teachers, students who plan to enter Ph.D. programs and students who seek stronger credentials in English for careers in journalism, publishing, and professional writing. Each year, graduate assistantships are awarded competitively to full-time students. Along with tutoring in the Writing Center, graduate assistants undertake extensive teacher training in composition and gain experience as composition instructors.
- Peter Buchanan, Ph.D.
- Lauren Fath, Ph.D.
- Juan Gallegos, Ph.D.
- Jess Goldberg, Ph.D.
- Amanda May, Ph.D.
- Rebecca Schneider, Ph.D.
- Eddie Tafoya, Ph.D.
- Benjamin Villarreal, E.D.
- Donna Woodford-Gormley, Ph.D
Admission Requirements English (MA)
Concentrations:
- Creative Writing
- Linguistics, Literacy and Composition
- Literature
- Statement of Educational Goals
- 2 Letters of Recommendation
- 10-15 Page Writing Sample (preferably a critical essay written for an upper level English course, but we would be willing to consider other kinds of samples)
- Transcripts from all previously attended regionally accredited institutions (3.0 GPA or higher)
- Will consider those who do not meet the GPA requirement.
The Department of English is located in Douglas Hall, which houses classrooms, the Writing Center, the Language Learning Center, and offices for faculty and graduate assistants in the humanities.
The Department of English provides the services of the Writing Center to students in all university courses as well as in English composition courses. The facility offers individual tutoring and small group work. Teaching assistants in the English M.A. program begin learning tutoring pedagogy while working at the Writing Center during their first semester.
The Department of English houses The New Mexico Review, a literary journal that publishes poetry, fiction, and essays. Graduate students edit and produce each issue of the journal. The M.A. English program also sponsors a chapter of the international English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta.
Master of Arts in English (MA)
Students should consult with the director of graduate studies in English prior to registration each term for advisement. During the first meeting, the director and student will develop a program of study for completing the program.
Required Core:
ENGL 5020 Literary Theory (3)
ENGL 5410 History of the English Language (3)
ENGL 6010 Research Methods in English (3)
Students choose one of the following:
ENGL 6990 Thesis (6)
OR
ENGL 6960 Publishable Papers (3)
AND
Electives (3)*
*Approved electives selected in consultation with adviser
Required course for teaching assistants:
ENGL 5150 Methods of Tutoring & Teaching Writing (3)*
Electives: 9 – 12 credit hours
Students take nine hours in their concentration area and electives from any of the concentrations. Please note that for creative writing students, three of their nine credits must be in ENGL 6710. Electives may also include other faculty-approved courses. *Students approved for ENGL 5150 Methods of Tutoring & Teaching Writing take nine credit hours of electives instead of 12 credit hours.
Core & Electives Total: 27 credit hours
Concentration in Literature
Choose three courses from the following:
ENGL 5110 Major American Writers (3)
ENGL 5120 Major British Writers (3)
ENGL 5140 Literary Realism (3)
ENGL 5210 Chaucer (3)
ENGL 5220 Shakespeare (3)
ENGL 5230 Milton (3)
ENGL 5350 Selected Topics in English (3)
ENGL 5/6500 Seminar in English (1-4)
ENGL 5820 Literature of the Southwest (3)
ENGL 5910 Arthurian Literature (3)
ENGL 6100 Major American Poets (3)
ENGL 6360 Varieties of Romanticism (3)
ENGL 6410 History of Popular Literature (3)
Concentration Total: 9 credit hours
Core & Electives Total: 27 credit hours
Program Total: 36 credit hours
Concentration in Linguistics, Literacy, and Composition
Choose three courses from the following:
MART 5180 Print of Multimedia (3)
MART 5460 Screenwriting (3)
ENGL 5000 Creative Writing: Experimental Fiction (3)
ENGL 5010 Creative Writing: Advanced Poetry (3)
ENGL 5150 Methods of Tutoring & Teaching Writing (3)
ENGL 5350 Selected Topics in English (3)
ENGL 5430 Sociolinguistics (3)
ENGL 5/6500 Seminar in English (1 – 4)
ENGL 5650 Nonfiction Prose (3)
ENGL 5850 Stylistics (3)
ENGL 6510 Images & Words: Semiotics (3)
ENGL 6610 Literacy and Orality (3)
ENGL 6710 Creative Writing Workshop (3)
Concentration Total: 9 credit hours
Core & Electives Total: 27 credit hours
Program Total: 36 credit hours
Concentration in Creative Writing
Students must take nine credits in creative writing courses, including at least three credits of ENGL 6710: Creative Writing Workshop. This course may be repeated with a change of content.
Choose three courses from the following:
ENGL 5000 Creative Writing: Experimental Fiction (3)
ENGL 5010 Creating Writing: Advanced Poetry (3)
ENGL 5100 Creative Nonfiction (3)
ENGL 5350 Selected Topics in English (1-4)
ENGL 5850 Stylistics (3)
ENGL 6710 Creative Writing Workshop (3)
Concentration Total: 9 credit hours
Core & Electives Total: 27 credit hours
Program Total: 36 credit hours
All students completing a thesis must pass a written qualifying examination based on a reading list approved by the thesis committee, the director of graduate studies, and the department chair.
In addition to the 36 credits required for the MA, students must demonstrate reading knowledge of a language other than English. The language requirement may be fulfilled by: 1) completing the final course of a four-semester undergraduate sequence in a language with a grade of B; 2) completing a 3000- or 4000-level course with a grade of B; 3) passing a test administered by the Department of English; or 4) passing a comparable test offered by another institution and approved in advance by the English graduate committee.
ENGL 5000. Creative Writing: Experimental Fiction (3); Alt, Sp, Odd
This course examines advanced fiction writing with an emphasis on experimental techniques, styles, and approaches, including stream-of-consciousness and fictive autobiography. The reading component of this course will include theoretical and creative texts. Repeatable with a change of content. Previous NMHU ENGL 500.
ENGL 5010. Creative Writing: Advanced Poetry (3); Alt, Fa, Even
A writing workshop for experienced poets. Students will write original poems and read twentieth century poetry and poetics from the United States and around the world. Repeatable with a change of content. Previous NMHU ENGL 501.
ENGL 5020. Literary Theory (3); Sp
Intensive study of theories of literature from Plato to the present, with an emphasis on contemporary literary theory. Application of these theories to various works, ancient and modern. Previous NMHU ENGL 502.
ENGL 5050. Gender and the Politics of Literacy (3); Var
Exploration of the historical connections between literacy and reason/emotion, focusing on how each has been historically gendered. It begins with a history of style and how metaphors of gender have been used to describe writing. It includes a study of how cultural beliefs about literacy shape our conceptions of “individuality,” “citizenships,” “aesthetics,” “rationality,” and “originality,” and how those categories apply differently to men and women. Previous NMHU ENGL 505.
ENGL 5100. Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction (3); Alt, Fa, Odd
This course is a writing workshop that provides the background, theories, and methods for students to produce original creative nonfiction writing. The course emphasizes forms and practices of various sub-genres of creative nonfiction including the personal essay, the memoir, literary reportage, and the nonfiction novel. Repeatable with a change of content. Previous NMHU ENGL 510.
ENGL 5110. Major American Writers (3); Sp
In-depth study of a major author or authors, school, genre, and tradition in American literature. Possible topics include literature of the American West, American Modernism, and American poetry. May be repeated with change of content. Previous NMHU ENGL 511.
ENGL 5120. Major British Writers (3); Sp
In-depth study of a major author or authors, school, genre, or tradition of British literature. Possible topics: are Byron and the “Satanic School, “and The British Moderns (Lawrence, Woolf, Joyce). May be repeated with change of content. Previous NMHU ENGL 512.
ENGL 5140. Literary Realism (3); Var
Covers the international development of the theory and practice of the realist novel. Previous NMHU ENGL 514.
ENGL 5150. Methods of Tutoring and Teaching Writing (3); Fa
This course will prepare students to tutor and teach readers and writers at the college-level. Students will study composition theory and develop a course syllabus and materials for teaching a writing class. Students will also tutor college writers as part of their coursework. Previous NMHU ENGL 515.
ENGL 5210. Chaucer (3); Var
Intensive study of The Canterbury Tales and selected minor works. Previous NMHU ENGL 521.
ENGL 5220. Shakespeare (3); Fa
Intensive study of a group of Shakespeare’s plays, such as comedies, tragedies, Greek plays, English history plays, or late romances. May be repeated with a change of content. Previous NMHU ENGL 522.
ENGL 5230. Milton (3); Var
Intensive study of Paradise Lost and selected minor works. Previous NMHU ENGL 523.
ENGL 5340 – 6340. Practicum (1 – 4 VC); Fa, Sp
Students gain practical knowledge through internships in such areas as tutoring, editing, public relations, and feature writing. Previous NMHU ENGL 534 – 634.
ENGL 5350. Selected Topic in English (1 – 4 VC); Var
Course in a topic or topics in English. May be repeated with change in content. Previous NMHU ENGL 535.
ENGL 5410. History of the English Language (3); Sp
Investigation of the origin of modern English, with a study of the evolution of English sounds, inflections, vocabulary, and syntax, from earliest times to the present. Previous NMHU ENGL 541.
ENGL 5420. Contemporary English Linguistics (3); Var
An examination of the structures, processes, and functions of elements of the English language, with particular attention to their description in the theories of cognitive grammar. Previous NMHU ENGL 542.
ENGL 5430. Sociolinguistics (3); Alt, Sp, Odd
A study of dialects, bilingualism, multilingualism, speech communities, and regional and social variations as they relate to linguistic variables. Course includes methodological concern and relationships between sociolinguistics and related disciplines. Previous NMHU ENGL 543.
ENGL 5500 – 6500. Seminar in English (1 – 4 VC); Var
Seminar course in a topic or topics in English. Previous NMHU ENGL 550 – 650.
ENGL 5650. Non-Fiction Prose (3); Alt, Sp, Even
An introduction to the reading, analysis, and writing of nonfiction works, such as biography, political prose, propaganda, history, and the essay. Emphasis on critical reading and thinking, interpretative skills, and writing nonfiction forms. The reading component of this course will include theoretical and creative texts. Previous NMHU ENGL 565.
ENGL 5820. Literature of the Southwest (3); Var
An examination of the tri-cultural literary heritage of the southwestern United States. Readings include journals and diaries of the Territorial Period, as well as imaginative works by novelists of the Southwest. Emphasis is placed on cultural traditions that shaped the literature. Previous NMHU ENGL 582.
ENGL 5850. Stylistics (3); Var
An examination of linguistic principles, specifically as they apply to the analysis of written texts. Students will learn to make the kind of textual observations needed to reveal stylistic traits and tendencies in the language of literature. Previous NMHU ENGL 585.
ENGL 5900 – 6900. Independent Study (1 – 4 VC); Var
Independent study of selected author(s) or topic(s) arranged with an instructor. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Previous NMHU ENGL 590 – 690.
ENGL 5910. Arthurian Literature (3); Var
Literature generated by the legends of King Arthur and his court, studied in a variety of European texts from the Middles Ages. Previous NMHU ENGL 591.
ENGL 5920. Independent Research (1 – 4 VC); Var
Independent research project arranged with an instructor. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Previous NMHU ENGL 592.
ENGL 6010. Research Methods in English (3); Fa
Methods, sources, and tools of research for linguistics, composition, and literature. Previous NMHU ENGL 601.
ENGL 6020. Theories in Writing (3); Var
A comprehensive background of the development of writing programs, theory, and research in American education. Attention to the writing process, as well as genres of both academic and non-academic settings. Previous NMHU ENGL 602.
ENGL 6030. Contemporary Literary Theories (3); Var
An in-depth study of a topic or combination of related topics involving current trends in literary theory. Varying subtitles for the course might include literary canon formation, deconstructionism, feminist theory, new historicism, psychoanalytic theory, Marxist theory, reader-response criticism, and comparative literature. May be repeated with a change of topic. Previous NMHU ENGL 603.
ENGL 6100. Major American Poets (3); Var
Intensive reading and study of four important American poets of the twentieth century. Different poets will be featured each time the course is offered. Class discussion of the poets and their work will be the focus of the course. Previous NMHU ENGL 610.
ENGL 6360. Varieties of Romanticism (3); Var
A consideration of the varieties of Romanticism across time and cultures, contextualization of the British Romantic experience against the background of developments in Germany and France, and an examination of the heritage of Romanticism in all its postmodern vitality. Previous NMHU ENGL 636.
ENGL 6410. The History of Popular Literature (3); Var
A survey of the development of popular literature, from the “street literature” that emerged in the decades immediately following the invention of movable type, to the genre fiction of today. Readings will include popular literary works in a variety of genres, such as romance, horror, and thrillers. Previous NMHU ENGL 641.
ENGL 6510. Images and Words: Semiotics (3); Var
A semiotic approach to the study of meaning. Various sign systems, as expressed in the visual and verbal representations of cultural practice, myth, and literature will be examined. Previous NMHU ENGL 651.
ENGL 6610. Literacy and Orality (3); Var
A survey of the development of alphabetic writing in the West. Issues covered include writing and cognitive development, conflicting definitions of literacy, politics of literacy, and literacy education. Previous NMHU ENGL 6610.
ENGL 6710. Creative Writing Workshop (3); Alt, Sp, Even
This course is an advanced workshop in the writing of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Students will read works in and theories of the genre and produce a portfolio of original works. The reading component of this course will include theoretical and creative texts. Previous NMHU ENGL 671.
ENGL 6960. Publishable Papers (1 – 3 VC); Fa, Sp
Individual research, writing, and rewriting in preparation of the graduate portfolio. Cannot be taken for elective credit. Only 3 credit hours count towards the degree, but students will register for extra credit hour ENGL 6960 in the semester in which they graduate. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Previous NMHU ENGL 696.
ENGL 6990. Thesis (1 – 6 VC); Fa, Sp
Individual research and writing in preparation of the graduate thesis. After enrolling for thesis, students must continue to enroll for at least one credit hour of thesis each semester until the thesis is completed. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Previous NMHU ENGL 699.